Raymarine Sea Talk interface

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picardy

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I have recently purchased a boat that has a Raymarine Sea Talk interface box.

I understand that the interface box can be connected to a laptop via a 6 pin socket (see photo). I do not have the connecting lead and wonder if anyone can help me answer the following questions.

1. What lead to I need to make the connection and where can I get it
2. Can I buy software to run on a PC that would display ST60+ sea talk data eg speed, depth, wind, GPS location from the C70 plotter at the helm. I am primarily interested in a read only facility a bit like a reperater rather than the ability programme the chart plotter and don;t want to spend very much on it.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
I don't recognise that connector so I can't help there. You do not state what model your interface box is but if it is the Raymarine E85001 then the connections are wired to a 9-pin 'D' connector that plugs into a serial port on a PC. You can make this cable yourself. You will then need the Raytech PC software on your PC.
 
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Thanks Bloater - yes it is an E85001. The Raytech software seems to be around £400. Is there any cheaper way of getting it? ie an older version that might be cheaper or even a different manufacturer that does a similar thing?
 
Bloater said:
I don't recognise that connector so I can't help there. You do not state what model your interface box is but if it is the Raymarine E85001 then the connections are wired to a 9-pin 'D' connector that plugs into a serial port on a PC. You can make this cable yourself. You will then need the Raytech PC software on your PC.
Click to expand...
Lets hope you are not using a modern laptop; cant think of the last time I saw a 9-pin D. The whole planet has gone USB.
 
The connector in the photo looks like a Bulgin 6 pin socket. Nothing special, and a matching plug should be readily obtainable from chandlers etc.
As said, the 3 data wires, ie, for NMEA, in, out and ground, could be connected via this plug, thence to a 'D' connector. 'D' connectors can be a bit fiddly to make up unless you are practised at soldering.
You will probably also need a serial to USB converter cable, from ebay, unless your laptop is ancient.
4 or 5 wires might be present on the Bulgin connector if both NMEA and seatalk are brought out, but only one set at a time per lappie can be connected AFAIK.
Can't help on the Raytech software.
 
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picardy said:
Thanks Bloater - yes it is an E85001. The Raytech software seems to be around £400. Is there any cheaper way of getting it? ie an older version that might be cheaper or even a different manufacturer that does a similar thing?
Click to expand...

E85001 outputs NMEA via the RS232 port http://www.raymarine.com/GetFile.aspx?fileId=1299&categoryId=3

if your computer doesn't have RS232 port then a RS232-to-USB converter will be required.

Once you have cabling sorted out any software that can display NMEA data works. Some options here http://opencpn.org/ocpn/nmea_instruments
 
earlybird said:
The connector in the photo looks like a Bulgin 6 pin socket. Nothing special, and a matching plug should be readily obtainable from chandlers etc.
As said, the 3 data wires, ie in, out and ground, could be connected via this plug, thence to a 'D' connector. 'D' connectors can be a bit fiddly to make up unless you are practised at soldering.
You will probably also need a serial to USB converter cable, from ebay, unless your laptop is ancient.
6 wires might be present if both NMEA and seatalk are brought out, but only one set at a time per lappie can be connected AFAIK.
Can't help on the Raytech software.
Click to expand...

It is a 6 pin Bulgin - Force 4 will sell you a plug. Trouble is that there is no accepted wiring standard for that type of plug, so you will have to trace through the connections yourself to identify the connectivity, then make up your own cable.
 
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Seatalk cables of which there are only 3 consist of:

Red : +12v
Yellow : Signal
Screen: - earth

They should be evident if you undo the socket support screws and pull the socket out.
 
Nobody has bothered to answer your second question at all - is there anything useful you can do with the data once you get it onto your PC? Yes, there is... there are a variety of programs around that can display or process that data in various ways. A copy of OpenCPN will turn your PC into a very respectable plotter and navigation station - and it's free (though you still have to pay for maps). There are other commercial navigation applications for the PC - some include maps. There are also both commercial and free instrumantation applications that will put a configurable instrument panel up on your screen.

Most modern PCs do not have serial ports that are able to communicate NMEA0183 data - as suggested below, you'll need an RS232-USB adaptor - available very cheaply from Maplins or eBay. You'll have to solder up the cable yourself - nobody is going to stock a Bulgin-6 to DB9 cable. If you are not moderately familiar with electronics, this could be a bit difficult to work out. Seek advice if necessary - don'twant to damage the electronics.
 
Have a look at NavMonPC for instrument display, AIS 'radar' display, logging and virtual COM port provision (so you can use the NMEA data (GPS maybe) in more than one programme, for instance).

It's free and works very well. I use it with Raymarine (Seatalk) instrument data and GPS through the E85001 mux plus a NASA AIS engine input into a laptop at the chart table

I use OpenCPN for passage planning, real-time nav and the AIS display feature which is very good. However, NavMonPC is better for the instrument and logging functions, IMHO.
 
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NavMonPC is free - http://www.navmonpc.com/ - and will display the NMEA data you choose if you can use either a serial port or a USB adapter on your laptop.

You can also create virtual serial ports so you can feed the NMEA stream to several different programs at the same time - OpenCPN for example.

It works well on my laptop through a USB port.

Richard

Beaten by Playtime!
 
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Just another point regarding the 6-pin connector - just scrap it and fit whatever you like in it's place. The connection to the interface box is simply 2 bare wires into the RS232 (output) and another 2 into the NMEA (input) port if you want to send data back to the interface. Raymarine sell a cable (E86001) for this purpose but you can make your own. These days laptops don't have 25-way connectors so you'll have to adapt to whatever you have. You can download the E85001 manual from the interweb which shows all of this.
 
Can anyone tell me how to connect into a 9 pin serial connector which I will then connect into a usb lead to the pc

Ie what I need to know is how to connect the 3 wires referred to into the serial connector?
 
picardy said:
Can anyone tell me how to connect into a 9 pin serial connector which I will then connect into a usb lead to the pc

Ie what I need to know is how to connect the 3 wires referred to into the serial connector?
Click to expand...

Looking at this link you sent me about the E85001...

http://www.raymarine-navigatie.nl/raymarine-seatalknmea-interface-box-e85001/

there is a connection diagram near the top of the page. You need to connect to the block at the top left marked RS232 OUT. Connect the - terminal to pin 5 of your 9 pin RS232 connector and the + terminal to pin 2. The pins on the 9 pin RS232 connector are numbered, but you have to look closely to see them.
 
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